Army Ranger Tragedy Points Up Problems In Training, Judgment

If last month's Army Ranger tragedy in North Florida had been a real-world mission instead of a training exercise, the death toll undoubtedly would have gone even higher.

As it was, four members of the elite military corps died needlessly of hypothermia after their instructors marched them into a swamp that was too cold and too deep, and kept them in it far too long.

Wednesday, a six-week Army investigation into the Feb. 15-16 incident at Eglin Air Force Base concluded that although no criminal charges will be filed, nine instructors will face disciplinary action ranging from counseling to reprimand to removal from the service.

The investigation revealed that the supposedly routine patrol turned into an unmitigated fiasco that even included a botched rescue attempt. A Medevac helicopter dropped the stretcher bearing one critically injured Ranger from a height of 10 to 20 feet. The soldier later died.

In other blunders, a rescue flight was delayed by a fuel shortage, rotor wash from a helicopter swept three trainees downriver from their comrades and a radio being used to summon help was dropped in the water and ruined.

The unidentified trainers were cited for failure of judgment, insufficient awareness of dangers and lack of supervision of students. At the least, they should receive severe reprimands.

Ranger training must be rigorous because the mission of this special-operations unit is to respond to any world crisis on short notice and to fight in the most extreme conditions imaginable.

However, this worst tragedy in the 44-year history of the program should compel the Army to make several needed changes. It should enforce much tighter controls on swamp exercises, refine training standards and develop new medical-rescue procedures. Courses in good judgment and common sense also should become mandatory for potential instructors.

If this painful experience prods the Army to improve its training and leadership of the Rangers, then the unconscionable waste of four good men will not have been totally in vain.